I am considering options for a 22 LR that would work somewhat universally for the family. IE, adjustable LOP for my little ones.

I am looking at either an AR-15 style 22 (S&W M&P-15 22) or an adjustable stock option on a 10/22.

I am not looking for tack driving accuracy as this will just be a "tin can plinker" mostly just for S&G's.

I realize there are more refined options available, but that is not the niche I am looking to fill.

Thanks for your advice.

I bought a Ruger American Rimfire for pretty much exactly the purpose you specify. The one I bought was called a “new shooter’s kit”, as I recall. It included four different stock inserts to adjust for length of pull and use with/without scope, and a cleaning kit. It only cost a couple of hundred bucks. I put a Leupold 2-7x28 rimfire scope on it. It also has a pretty short barrel, which makes it handy. It is very accurate and quality is good. It uses the same 10-round magazines that the 10/22 does. The only complaint I would have is that the barrel is maybe a touch heavier than need be, which makes the gun a little heavy.

The kids actually kind of prefer my “standard” 10/22 carbine, but the length of pull is a bit long. I have a Leupold 4x28 rimfire on that. I don’t necessarily think that a semi-auto is the best way to start because it spoils them a bit, but they sure like it. 10/22 = instant gratification. Pulling the trigger is awfully easy. RARimfire makes them work at it a little more and it is more accurate.

If you Ruger makes a 10/22 with an adjustable LOP 10/22, I doubt that there is any rifle the kids would enjoy more. Just buy lots of ammo and be prepared for a sore thumb if you are doing the loading.

before the smith at 22 became available I started my kids out with a colt 9mm carbine. no real recoil and a collapsible stock to fit them. it was a little heavy but they shot it off rests. when the smith 22 became available.i got them each one. it is light and they have a blast with it. it is more than accurate enough to plink with especially grass hoppers in the weeds on the backstop.

I don't think I'd go the auto loader route if it were my little ones.Having the ability to take repeated shots without a pause would make me feel like the little ones weren't learning the value of patience and fire arm control.Having to reload after very shot would, IMHO, create a better shooter with more respect for the sport.Id start mine out with a Savage combo gun probably 20ga /22mag or even a 222/20 that could be a real " lets go hunting with dad piece".

kids will luv a lever action of some sort...........

safe......easy to use & load with tube magazine....

Henry is great choice.......octagon barrels are a tad heavier.........

I absolutely agree with the above. A semi-auto is too much like the video games that are way too prevalent. The Ruger American with the various stock options is a great choice.

So a Ruger American can be changed on the fly? Or are there tools needed to do so...seems much more intensive than depressing a lever.

Also, one point seems to be missed greatly here. There are ways to attenuate the rate of fire of the semi-autos. Such as limited loadings in the mag and using subsonics that won't cycle the action.

I was asking for advice on the platforms mentioned.

Then in that case, between the two you mentioned, I'd go with a 10/22 and get an adjustable stock. They have several on Midway and other sites. That way, once you no longer need the adjustable stock, you can customize the 10/22 if so desired in the future. But, that's just me.

M&P 15-22. My kids love it.

I had one and sold it a number of years ago. I found a rifle I wanted and needed the funds. It was the only rifle I've ever regretted selling. I later bought a 10/22 to replace it and made and adjustable stock for it. It worked well but I bought another 15-22 last year and haven't regretted it for a second.

This pretty much nails it IMO. The Ruger American Rimfire is perfect for what you are looking for. All that is required to change the stock inserts is unscrewing the rear sling swivel stud, slipping off the stock insert, put a different one in, re-insert sling swivel stud and go back to shooting. It took longer to type this then it takes to swap out the insert.

Personally I would never start a young shooter off with a semi-auto - there is just too much chance of a mishap. Also a bolt action slows them down just enough that they will concentrate on hitting the target rather than just pulling the trigger until the target is hit.

drover

I will never start another new shooter off without using a semi-auto 22. It is exactly what a new shooter needs. It teaches trigger time without unnecessary loading techniques that can be honed later with an understudy rifle.

A 10/22 or a SW15-22 are equally good. Just get one with an adjustable stock.

Or if you want to run open sighted, an old Nylon 66 is tough to beat.

An old Nylon 66 is worth maybe a hunerd bucks, but one that aint covered in rust will cost about four times that.

Get the Blackhawk 10/22 stock, your favorite can of spray paint, and a red dot scope. You'll get the "Dad of the Year" award....


Throw in some steel spinners and LOTS of ammo.

I don't dislike the 10/22 but if you go that route you are still going to have a heavy trigger, awkward bolt catch/release, and no hold open on empty. In my experience, the 15-22 does what is being looked for better. I have a 8, 9, and 10 year olds who would agree. They started at age 5 with the 10/22 and all appreciated the move to the AR last year.

It is easy to load one round in a mag and have exactly the control of rate of fire you speak of. I know, I've done it. As the kids advance they enjoy having the semi. It has been my experience that they continue to fire at a rate at which they can hit the target even when handed a full 25 round mag. There are plenty of ways to responsibly start kids on a semi. I have found nothing as well suited to kids of different sizes as a 6 position ar stock.

I taught my grandson to shoot with my old daisy pump B.B. gun. Then went directly to a lightweight AR15 in 223. He’s stocky but short. The AR colapasable stock and light weight has worked out very well.

The attributes of the 15-22 are starting to win me over. Plus, their first deer will likely be taken with ARs, so starting them on that platform is a good thing, me thinks.

I started my girls with their own 10-22. The youngest would shoot Federal 525 pack ammo until the rifle was to dirty to function, then that night we would tear it down and clean to get ready for the next shoot. Good thing 525 packs were 8 bucks then. Her favorite targets were paint balls hot glue to cardboard and pennies. Golf balls were a lot of fun as well

$30 for a target hammer to drop trigger pull.
There is a simple bolt mod as well.
Never done the bolt release mod on my rigs.
Don't need it IMHO............but I mastered its use in 2nd grade.

The AR stuff w collapsible stock, is nice to fit different sized shooters.
But the plastic upper/lower ones just feel cheap. And I actually prefer reg rifle stock grips to the "pistol grip" type.
Looks...................the AR always loses.

Platform shmatform...........I shot a variety of rifle types as a kid and still do.
No probs.
Not a believer in the semi auto making people take crappy shots on animals either.

Some folks might need one type of rig.............if so that to me seems kinda scary.
Have seen adults of some supposed experience...............flub it with a change to a different rig (they own).
Not the sharpest knives in the drawer...........

Sure you can do upgrades and mods to improve the 10/22. It's not difficult to figure out and use the bolt release but it is not intuitive and does not hold open on empty. That is my biggest gripe with the 10/22. I can't imagine designing a semiauto without that feature.

I honestly can't say that my 15-22 feels or looks any cheaper than my 10/22 with painted aluminum receiver, plastic trigger group, and plastic barrel band.

We're entitled to our own choices. If the end game is a rifle with an adjustable stock, I can't recommend starting with a 10-22.

This with one of the lightweight aluminum sleeve barrels will be my oldest boys next rifle. The S&W 15-22 looks fun too and I can see getting one down the road for family fun but I like the idea of stacking 10/22 magazines deep and using them on multiple rifles.

I liked the idea of the adjustable stock so I bought the S&W 15-22 a few years ago. It had a crummy trigger, was not at all accurate, had a very high scope position and was a very poor fit for me. I did not keep it long. It was my least favorite of the 30 or more .22's I've owned over many years. I am not a fan of MSR's so that may have influenced my opinion. However, unless a kid is going to be shooting MSR's exclusively, I think the 10-22 would be a better way to go.

Not sure how big the kids are, but if you start them shooting off a bench, is the AR platform conducive to that? Mine shoot of the bench quite a bit -sometimes it’s not real easy for the little ones to hold a rifle off hand.

Why would an AR not be able to easily be shot from a bench? Bags, short magazine, etc.

I’m not saying it isn’t. I don’t own one. I was just posing the question because it would seem the pistol grip and magazine may would require additional clearance above the bench.

Oh...well, in that case, the answer is simply "No, it doesn't cause an issue at the bench." There are flush fit magazines and the pistol grip isn't entirely that much lower than a conventional stocks bottom line, really. My boys already shoot off the bench with a Rem 597, but it is too long for them and they tuck the stock under their arm and I take the recoil. I want the adjustable stock to allow them to learn to shoulder and cheek weld, etc.

Yeah, that’s the issue with my unadjustable 10/22 as well. That S&W looks like it would be a lot of fun, good luck!

I'd almost rather have the 10/22, but I can't find the adjustable stock to fit the need. Maybe I am asking too much...? If nothing else, the 15-22 should be good "For now."

Yep. It's good to learn how to handle every variety of firearms.

Would be nice if Ruger made an adjustable stock for the 10/22 similar to the one on the RAR, but I don’t see one on their website. I guess if you already own a 597, you could see if a short length of pull stock is available.

I see the 15-22 weighs under 5 lbs, which is great. What is the capacity on to be shorter magazines?

The 10/22 is available with the interchangeable stock inserts in the lightweight takedown model with the aluminum sleeved barrel. Comes with the full sized inserts but compact inserts are available. I know it's not the AR style stock that you asked about. But that's what they got in factory form.
https://ruger.com/products/1022Lite/models.html

What's wrong with the adjustable stock that 16bore suggested in this thread?
Maybe you are asking too much.

The 597 shoots too well as is, so I'd rather not modify it.

There are short, 10 round mags available for the 15-22

Well, when I first looked, I couldn't find any of them in stock...now I see they are. And honestly, that is likely the "best" option. I was searching around and the searches only turned up the Howa stocks...I like the Axiom option quite well.

There are some 10/22s with the collapsible stocks, too, under 10/22 Tactical models. I'd favor the RAR stock style, myself (and I've seen a couple in NON take-down guns, too, though they are hard to find), but that's not what the OP wanted. Here's an example:

https://ruger.com/products/1022Tactical/specSheets/1284.html


There's a raft of them, including one in pink. A pink "Tactical" .22 rifle. Yeah.

Retch, retch, retch............

Oh well looky there. They got like 10 different 1022's with collapsible stocks right on rugers website.

The white ones looks kind of Star Warsy. Imperial somethin....

There you go.....

If I got the storm troopers one, they'd never hit anything!

I’m not going to show those to my kids.

I found the Tapco version at Whittaker's for $260 each...I may just order two.

Someone was retching over a pink tactical one. Now if you are an eleven year old girl......

Get a bolt action 22LR.

Marlin 780 series , Rem 51x series

Not a a fan of a semi-auto as a first gun.